To Become a King and a Magician 526-530

Title: I Don’t Possess Strength Like Them

What does a soul look like?

The answer—its shape resembles the original form of the person.

Nothing else—its body is semi-transparent, with a somewhat cloudy, uneven color. Overall, you can still clearly make out the physical appearance of the soul’s owner.

Essentially, that’s the typical shape of every person’s soul.

However, the soul Naoki was seeing now was different.

It wasn’t shaped like a human at all. Instead, it resembled a liquid-like, spherical mass, constantly shifting and shapeless, entirely pitch-black. Although traces of other colors could be faintly distinguished within it, they were all mixed together, ultimately forming just one solid, dark black mass.

This was the soul of Nero Chaos.

“Chaos... yes, indeed, something like this can only be described as chaos. Combining 666 bestial factors into one body, and constructing a Reality Marble within to escape the world’s correction. The result is the birth of something like this.”

Seven years ago, when he fought Nero, Naoki hadn’t unleashed his Mystic Eyes because Manaka was sealed within them, and also because he wasn’t calm at the time.

This was the first time he had ever seen Nero’s soul.

But considering this was a copy created by Tatari, there was no guarantee that Nero’s true soul actually looked like this.

Still, that didn’t matter to Naoki. Regardless of a soul’s appearance, before his Mystic Eyes, there was only one inevitable outcome.

*BZZZZZ!*

The Mystic Eyes emitted a dim glow. The next instant, Nero Chaos’s body, not far from him, suddenly stiffened without warning. His cold expression instantly twisted in agony. He staggered, clutching his chest as if enduring unimaginable torment!

Soul erosion.

Even though the soul within his eyes was already murky and corrupted—disgusting, like a filthy rag discarded into a sewer for years—being eroded by the Mystic Eyes was merely an embellishment that worsened its condition, not something that would cause such extreme discomfort.

But that didn’t apply to those bestial factors.

The target of the Soul-Eater Mystic Eyes was Nero Chaos’s entire soul. And that whole was composed of 666 bestial factors—meaning, 666 savage animal souls.

These tiny souls were also subject to the Mystic Eyes’ effects.

“My bestial factors inside my body... suddenly losing control?”

An unprecedented situation left Nero Chaos utterly incredulous. He had been a Dead Apostle for several hundred years. The bestial factors he had absorbed had long merged with him. Nero was them, and they were Nero.

Yet now, these bestial factors were undergoing mutations, one after another. And this mutation meant they could no longer remain unified.

Whenever exceptions or irregularities arise within a group—when something strange and out of place appears—destruction is the natural result.

Why was this happening? Why had his body, perfectly stable mere seconds ago, suddenly become so distorted?

“—Those Mystic Eyes!”

Nero Chaos suddenly looked up, glaring directly into Naoki’s eyes. And as he stared into those horizon-like Mystic Eyes, the unbearable pain instantly intensified several-fold!

The overwhelming agony shattered Nero Chaos’s mental fortitude. He, whose mind should have been as hard as steel, now experienced a psychological shock he hadn’t felt in ages!

“Ugh... stop staring at me with those Mystic Eyes! Holy Sword Heir!”

“GAAAAAA—!”

A pitch-black monster roared and burst from Nero’s body. Ram horns, a massive bear’s muscular torso, a bull’s head, gorilla limbs—perhaps composed of these parts. Perhaps also made of countless other elements Naoki couldn’t even recognize.

But...

The gaze of the Mystic Eyes lingered on the monster only briefly. Naoki immediately reshaped the fragmented soul within its body into a form he preferred, then—

“Go.”

“GGGGAAAAAAA!!”

The newly born monster instantly became Naoki’s loyal warrior. It turned and roared, attacking its own father!

“How dare you—“

“How does it feel to be bitten back by your own dog?”

Naoki smiled, raising his hand to summon a violent wind. With a single wave, he sliced through multiple storm blades, tearing the earth apart, simultaneously cutting and shredding Nero Chaos and the black beast!

Half his body was obliterated in the storm. Nero Chaos, now missing one arm and one leg, crashed heavily onto the ground.

As if mocking himself, or ridiculing something, Nero sneered several times: “Hehehe... I never thought I’d be destroyed so easily. A Holy Sword Heir, and also a Master of Mystic Eyes. Beings as extraordinary as this truly exist in this world.”

“It’s fine. This can also be considered valuable intelligence. It’ll surely be useful for—“

*KRAK!*

With a single kick, Naoki crushed the remaining half of his body. He reattached the blindfold over his Mystic Eyes: “Next time will be your death, Tatari... The night of the full moon is two nights from now. Just wait for me at the shrine you’ve prepared to die.”

Naoki knew Tatari was still alive. After all, killing him was currently impossible—Tatari wasn’t truly a being, but a phenomenon. Like rainfall, even if you destroy the rain clouds, it doesn’t mean it will never rain again in the future.

By the same logic, even if Nero Chaos was destroyed, Tatari wouldn’t die. To truly annihilate him, they would have to wait until the night of the upcoming full moon.

Until then—

“We should take care of the remaining details first.”

Using Imaginary Manifestation, he restored the streets he had sliced into pieces back to their original state, then dispelled the storm summoned by Arcueid. Naoki crossed the now-empty street and returned to Ayaka and the others.

“Alright, for now, everything’s safe.”

“Good job, Naoki.” Ayaka stepped forward, brushing rainwater from her hair. “Is anyone injured? I can use a bit of healing magecraft.”

“Not even a scratch. Don’t worry. This level is nothing more than a minor scuffle.”

Naoki laughed.

Arcueid nodded in agreement: “Exactly. If Naoki were injured just by Nero, he’d have died seven years ago. Ayaka, don’t worry about him.”

(But he still needs to be careful in battle.)

Seeing the two of them so carefree, Ayaka held back her words. She was merely a weak magus. She didn’t possess strength anywhere near theirs. So indeed, worrying was pointless.

After Ayaka wiped the rain from her hair, Naoki turned and looked at the person who had been silently observing from the side.

“Then, it’s time to deal with your matter.”

“Sion Eltnam Atlasia.”

-

Title: Why Not Set a Trap If You Already Knew?

Inside the apartment.

Seeing Sion sitting stiffly on the sofa, Touko—who had stayed behind at home—gave Naoki a clearly sarcastic look.

He went out briefly and came back with a woman. Yesterday it was Ayaka, and today it’s a prodigy from the Atlas Institute.

Touko strongly suspected whether her student planned to bring home yet another person tomorrow. His charm toward women was truly unbelievable. Strangely, two years ago, no additional women had ever appeared in his household. That could be credited to Gray keeping a close watch over him.

Apparently, after leaving Gray’s supervision, Naoki had become like this.

(I guess from now on I should make Gray follow him around.)

Without Gray or Rei watching over him, if Naoki went out alone, he might return accompanied by a dozen people.

As Touko pondered Naoki’s social relationships, Naoki himself was speaking with Sion.

“I sincerely thank you for saving me, Natsukawa Naoki.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Sion bowed deeply and genuinely expressed her gratitude.

“Previously, I thought the Headmaster’s evaluation of you might have been slightly exaggerated. I never expected you to truly be as strong as the Headmaster described. I apologize.”

“The Headmaster? Ah… Zepia?” Naoki recalled someone he hadn’t seen in a long time. “Did he mention me to you?”

Sion nodded. “Before I left the Atlas Institute, the Headmaster specifically told me: if I encountered an unsolvable problem in Misaki City, I could seek your help and cooperation. He said you were the most reliable and trustworthy man he knew.”

In truth, after witnessing Naoki’s overwhelming power nearly destroying Nero Chaos earlier, Sion now fully believed Zepia’s words.

Hearing this, Naoki immediately turned to Touko and Ayaka. “Touko, Ayaka, listen up. This is the fairest and most objective evaluation of me. The Clock Tower’s assessment is pure slander!”

What nonsense was this about chaotic social relationships, or being a playboy close to wealthy women, or being a nouveau riche—was Natsukawa Naoki really such a person?!

Seeing his behavior, both Touko and Ayaka averted their eyes and sighed in resignation.

(Fine, as long as you’re happy, Naoki.)

(I actually feel Sion-san’s evaluation isn’t generous enough, Naoki.)

Ignoring their reactions, Naoki turned back to Sion. “But it’s strange that Zepia would mention my name. The last time I met him was at Blackmore Cemetery ten years ago, and we only exchanged a few words.”

“According to the Headmaster, you are one of the most exceptional magi he has ever encountered. Moreover, during these past ten years, you’ve frequently accomplished astonishing feats. Even without actively seeking information, news about you reaches him constantly. That’s why he holds you in such high regard. And also because of your connection with Logos React.”

Sion explained with a smile.

(She’s talking about Rei… Hmm, better not mention the fact that I’ve turned her into a puppet, and that two Root Princesses reside within her.)

If he said that, Naoki felt Sion in front of him might fall into an extremely awkward situation.

“By the way, why did you come to Misaki City?” Naoki continued. “Although the Atlas Institute doesn’t have rules forbidding members from going out, it’s quite isolated. Magi there rarely leave voluntarily. You don’t seem like someone who enjoys going out either. Is there a special reason you came here?”

(If she came because of Tatari… The Zepia in this world isn’t Tatari. Sion probably hasn’t experienced those events either, so she wouldn’t have any reason to pursue Tatari.)

“I was expelled by the Headmaster.”

Sion answered frankly.

“At first, I was peacefully conducting my research in my workshop. Suddenly, the Headmaster called me, said a bunch of incomprehensible things, and then expelled me from the Atlas Institute. He said I couldn’t return unless I completed the task he assigned me in Misaki City.”

“A task?” Ayaka frowned. “What kind of task?”

“[Go to Misaki City and kill Zepia Eltnam Atlasia]—that was the suicide mission the Headmaster gave me. Strange, isn’t it?”

Sending Sion to Misaki City to kill herself. To anyone unaware, Zepia’s actions would seem utterly confusing. Indeed, Sion herself had felt that way. But the people here had already been informed by Naoki about Tatari’s true identity, so they understood the real meaning behind Zepia’s instruction.

“Strange? Not really. After all, he didn’t give you incorrect instructions.”

“Huh?” Sion was slightly confused by Naoki’s statement. “Do you mean… there’s another Headmaster in Misaki City?”

Naoki nodded. “More or less. The Nero Chaos who attacked us earlier wasn’t the real one. He was killed seven years ago. The one we fought was a copy created by someone who read residual information left in this city.”

“Our enemy’s name is Tatari, or the Night of Wallachia. He doesn’t exist in this world—he’s one of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors from a parallel world, and also [Zepia Eltnam Atlasia] from that parallel world.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The tallest building in Misaki City.

The Shrine—this was how people in Misaki usually referred to it. It sounded like an exceptionally remarkable skyscraper, but in reality, it was still an unfinished building.

At its peak, Ciel now stood there.

Compared to Touko, who had nothing to do, and Naoki, who was out strolling with Ayaka and Arcueid, Ciel might be the only one seriously thinking about how to defeat Tatari. Perhaps she hadn’t fully let go of her role as an Executor?

Since their enemy was one of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, thorough preparation was necessary. If the opponent was known to appear two nights from now, the time before that could be used to prepare various countermeasures.

Such as Magecraft barriers specifically designed against Dead Apostles—and similar things.

If asked what the difference was between Ciel now and Ciel seven years ago, it would be her level of Magecraft. Back then, she hated Roa. She had always rejected the Magecraft knowledge Roa had left in her mind and refused to touch it. But now, her perspective had changed. Over the past seven years, she had mastered most of Roa’s Magecraft knowledge.

That was why she was here—to set up Magecraft barriers.

“Tatari… Hah~ I hope the battle two nights from now goes smoothly.”

Gazing at the increasingly full moon, Ciel let out a soft sigh.

-

Title: House Thief!

Zepia from a parallel world.

The information from Naoki surprised Sion slightly, but as someone from the Atlas Institute, she was already accustomed to encountering strange phenomena every day. So, the concept of parallel worlds wasn’t something she couldn’t accept.

“I see... parallel worlds. No wonder the Headmaster said what he did. His words no longer contain any paradox.”

“But still, killing your own self from a parallel world—why would the Headmaster come up with such an idea?”

This was something she couldn’t understand.

Magus, by nature, were selfish. They only cared about their own interests. Beyond that, they were indifferent. Even if the world were to collapse, a typical magus would continue their research, hoping to reach the Root before the end came.

That was the mindset of most Magus.

But Magus from the Atlas Institute were slightly different.

“Perhaps in his calculations, the actions of his parallel-world self could lead to the destruction of this world.”

That was Naoki’s thought.

Magus of the Atlas Institute didn’t pursue the Root. Instead, they pursued [saving the world]. This was because their first Headmaster had proven that, in the distant future, the world would inevitably be destroyed. Therefore, to avoid such a fate, Atlas Magus continuously carried out their own form of [world salvation], endlessly repeating the cycle of destroying and creating weapons.

Zepia, as the Headmaster of the Atlas Institute and a Dead Apostle who had lived for hundreds of years, likely sensed anomalies between worlds and predicted his other self’s arrival. And upon determining that the actions of his alternate self might bring about the world’s destruction, he decided to have Sion destroy that version of himself.

“Saving the world... That’s the only possible explanation.”

Sion wore an expression of deep understanding.

It should be noted that, at the Atlas Institute, every second, Magus were predicting new forms of world destruction. [Saving the world] was merely a routine, an endless cycle carried out within the Institute. If someone were to declare, “I will definitely save the world!” at the Atlas Institute, they’d likely receive nothing but scornful stares.

It wasn’t mockery—it was anger. If you have time to boast, you should instead go do research and find a way to prevent the world’s destruction faster.

“But it’s still strange. The world’s destruction that he himself foresaw—he usually resolves it himself. Why suddenly entrust the future he predicted to me? My adoptive father, who never cared about anything, would never depend on someone else.”

Every predicted world destruction by Atlas Magus was different. Thus, they also believed only they could prevent the specific apocalypse they foresaw. As Headmaster, Zepia thought the same.

Yet this time, he entrusted his own prediction to Sion.

“Even though there’s no way I could fight an Ancestor... or could it be because of this?”

As if suddenly realizing something, Sion murmured while looking at Naoki: “Is it because of you?”

“Me? Why me?”

“Though this is just a wild guess, the Headmaster told me to come here... the reason [meeting Naoki] probably accounted for sixty percent of his motives. After all, he seems to really like you. But why would he want me to meet you?”

“The Holy Sword Heir.” Ayaka suddenly said. “Could it be because Naoki is the Holy Sword Heir?”

Sion frowned. “Holy Sword Heir? What’s that?”

“Just as the name suggests.”

Naoki pretended to grip something, then materialized the Sword Excalibur and explained: “This is the Star’s Holy Sword, forged by fairies to defeat enemies from beyond trying to destroy the star. If I say this is the Excalibur once wielded by King Arthur, you’d probably be more familiar with it, right?”

“I am its current owner, and have been chosen by the Counter Force as the third Star Holy Sword Heir. How should I put it... I’m someone who sees [saving the world] as a mission to fulfill.”

In reality, Naoki had saved the world countless times. One could even say he saved it every single day. To prevent the descent of the Sixth Beast, he fought desperately every day against the two Root Princesses.

Sion didn’t fully understand what Naoki was saying, but seeing the Holy Sword in his hand, she instinctively felt he wasn’t lying. A voice deep within her heart kept telling her that the man before her truly was the Holy Sword Heir capable of saving the world.

Could it be that Zepia knew this, and that’s why he told me to meet him? For Atlas Magus whose goal was world salvation, the Star Holy Sword Heir was essentially the most desired ally.

“Hmm, if this hypothesis is correct, the Headmaster’s intentions make perfect sense. Even if the truth isn’t exactly this, for now I’ll accept it as such.”

Standing up, Sion smiled and extended her hand to Naoki: “Let’s properly introduce ourselves again. I’m Sion—Sion Eltnam Atlasia, an alchemist. I’ll probably have many things to ask of you in the future, Holy Sword Heir who saves the world.”

(Not ‘probably,’ but definitely.)

During the freezing of human history, Sion was the behind-the-scenes hero who helped Chaldea reclaim the world. If she hadn’t prepared New Chaldea in the Sea of Wandering and waited, Chaldea in the future might have reached a dead end.

And as the current head of Chaldea’s operations, Naoki would definitely meet Sion again in the future.

“I’m Natsukawa Naoki. Just call me Natsukawa or Naoki. No need to be so formal.”

Naoki took Sion’s hand and smiled at her: “For me, there’s no problem. As long as it’s within my ability, I’ll do my best to help you. I’m glad to be working with you, Sion.”

(So dazzling!)

Seeing his bright smile, Sion suddenly felt as if she were wrapped in the warm midday sun in the middle of winter.

Smiling at her so warmly... this is unfair! His attack power is too high! Has this person never tried to hold back at all?

Seeing Sion’s cheeks slightly flush, of the three others present, only Arcueid remained oblivious. Touko and Ayaka, however, were both slightly taken aback.

After a pause, Touko somehow pulled out a camera from nowhere and quickly snapped a photo of Naoki and Sion, still holding hands.

*CLICK!*

The sound startled both of them. Naoki stared at Touko, confused: “Touko, what are you doing? Suddenly taking a photo?”

“Nothing. I just took a picture of someone cheating, planning to send it to the uncaring magus who ignores his home, to let him know that while he’s out playing, his entire household has already been completely stolen away.”

-

Title: When the Full Moon Arrives

After Sion’s arrival, the two days passed quickly.

During these two days, although Naoki still went out daily with Arcueid, Tatari did not appear again—perhaps hiding from them, or gathering strength.

And because Tatari remained hidden, the rumors about vampires running rampant in Misaki City recently had also slightly subsided.

This calm before the storm perhaps best described the situation. Naoki and the others knew that Tatari would definitely appear on the night of the full moon. The calmer he was beforehand, the greater the power he would unleash later.

Of course, this wasn’t a problem for Naoki. No matter how much strength Tatari gathered, he had absolute confidence in defeating him.

Especially with Arcueid here.

Thus, the battle with Tatari now came down to merely waiting for the moment to begin. After all, in the end, the moment the battle started would also be the moment it ended.

Still, not everyone was as relaxed as Naoki and Arcueid. Ciel was likely the only person in the apartment taking the upcoming battle the most seriously.

While the two fairies wandered around all day, Touko smoked and drank daily, and Ayaka and Sion discussed Magecraft, Ciel had already placed as many Magecraft barriers as possible within the shrine building. Though she didn’t know how effective they would be, they were sufficient to handle most possible scenarios.

In the process, she also utilized Sion’s intelligence. People from the Atlas Institute excelled in a technique called “divided thinking.” Sion was one of the best, capable of splitting her mind into seven parts and operating them simultaneously.

With this ability, Ciel could prepare for various potential situations.

Regarding Ciel’s overly cautious behavior, Naoki briefly considered telling her not to be so tense, but he also understood that Ciel, as a former Church member and Executor of the Burial Agency, always regarded Ancestors as her greatest enemies. Such a reaction was not difficult to understand. In the end, he simply let her be.

And now—

“It’s almost midnight.”

Looking at the clock approaching twelve, Naoki turned to the people beside him: “Then, let’s go. Arcueid, Ciel. Sorry to trouble the three of you with guarding the house, Ayaka, Touko, and Miss Sion.”

“No need to be so formal—just call me Sion.” Sion said, already growing familiar. “And one last question—am I really not allowed to come? After all, this was the task the Headmaster gave me. If I could deliver the final blow, I could return and submit my report.”

“No, you can’t.”

It was Ciel who answered.

“Although with our combat strength, you wouldn’t really be in danger, allowing a civilian to participate in the upcoming battle is still quite risky. Please wait for us here, Miss Sion.”

“Well, you heard her.” Naoki smiled helplessly. “Arcueid and I will be fine. Honestly, bringing you wouldn’t change the outcome. But Ciel has a point too. If an accident happened and you got hurt, that wouldn’t be good. So please stay here with Ayaka and Touko, Miss Sion.”

Hearing both of them say this, Sion sighed slightly regretfully: “Sigh~~ alright, since you’re so insistent, I won’t trouble you. Be careful on your way. Ayaka, is there anything you’d like to say?”

“Nothing.”

Ayaka remained silent for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. She simply gazed quietly at Naoki.

She had already seen Naoki’s strength. She also knew that even if his power wasn’t enough, in the end, he would surely achieve his goal.

So, she had no intention of saying things like “be careful” or “come back safely.” She only needed to wait here until he returned, and then say, “Welcome home.”

“Then... let’s go.”

Turning around, Naoki spread his arms and manifested a teleportation portal before him. He stepped through it, followed by Ciel and Arcueid.

Tatari would fully manifest at midnight.

And to amplify his power, as well as better consume the city, he would choose a high vantage point with a full view of Misaki City.

The Shrine was the perfect location.

Stepping out of the portal, Naoki and the two girls immediately arrived at the highest floor of the unfinished shrine.

Glancing back at the slowly fading portal behind them, Arcueid tugged on Naoki’s sleeve: “That portal just now—you manifested it with Imaginary Manifestation, right? How did you do it?”

“Rather than manifesting it, I’d say I imitated it. I know an expert in spatial exchange. I used to watch him use Displacement Magecraft often. That portal was created based on my memory of it.”

“Hmm... later I’ll see if I can replicate it. That way, I won’t have to walk everywhere.”

“You two, this isn’t the time to talk about something like that!”

Ciel interrupted between them, halting their conversation.

“Look over there. That should be Tatari, right?”

Following Ciel’s gaze, a blood-red, moon-shaped vortex of light floated in the air. Crackling lightning continuously flashed around it. Combined with the surrounding unfinished structure and numerous vertical pillars, it resembled a sacred treasure enshrined within a temple.

“I see. No wonder it’s called the Shrine... With this terrain and a dome, it really could be considered a temple.”

Hands in his pockets, Naoki stepped forward two paces: “Alright. You’ve been hiding for two days—now you can’t hide any longer. The drama you sought to complete after crossing from a parallel world ends tonight, Tatari. You won’t escape this time.”

Tatari, who had been slowly moving, heard the voice and slightly slowed. He gradually descended from the air.

“—Not romantic at all.”

After a brief silence, the voice echoed through the vast shrine.

“Appearing behind the scenes before the show begins—truly not romantic. Even if you’re not a magus from the Atlas Institute, one should still possess a certain level of elegance. Have modern humans not advanced even this much?”

“Absolutely disappointing.”

-

Title: Let Me Show You What a Moon Fall Truly Is

Zepia Eltnam Atlasia from two different worlds are not the same.

The Zepia in Naoki’s world, although also a Dead Apostle, is not an Ancestor. He has served as the Headmaster of the Atlas Institute for five hundred years. In many ways, he fits the traditional image of a Magus—one with great responsibility.

Whereas the Zepia in Ayaka’s world—Night of Wallachia—possesses a far more fanatical and deranged personality.

He pursued the Sixth Magic. For this, he made a contract with Altrouge Brunestud, the Eclipse Princess of Black Blood. Though he ultimately failed, after his death he became a phenomenon, endlessly repeating his challenge against the Sixth Magic.

This is Tatari as a Dead Apostle. Moreover, as a magus, he seems to have a certain obsession with elegance and drama. Previously, the Ainsworth family that Naoki encountered in the parallel world were people who acted strictly according to a predetermined script. This parallel-world Zepia bears a strong resemblance to them.

“Not romantic—I’m surprised you still have the nerve to say that now.”

Naoki laughed.

“Did gathering power for two days give you the confidence to talk like this? Or do you not understand what’s happening right now?”

“You will die here—that is an undeniable fact.”

As he spoke, Naoki already gripped Excalibur in his hand.

Feeling the mana fluctuations radiating from the Holy Sword, Tatari’s form trembled slightly. Then, thick mist rapidly spread from his body, instantly covering the entire night sky and forming a roof over the unfinished building.

Immediately after, as the roof solidified, the surrounding environment began to shift rapidly as well!

A magnificent hall manifested—perhaps better described as a throne room. At a glance, the entire space resembled a scene where a king met with his ministers.

But strangely, throughout this grand throne room, countless chains were entwined, as if meant to bind something. There were far too many chains to count.

Naoki’s and Arcueid’s expressions changed simultaneously.

“This place…”

“The Millennium Castle.”

Almost as if laughing in fury, Arcueid spoke the name of this space, but the anger and disgust in her voice were so intense they could have made even wood flinch.

To manifest a counterfeit like this in front of its true original—Tatari was truly audacious.

“Ah, ah, ah~~~~”

And upon the throne at the far end of the room, a shadow slowly rose. As if sighing, it stepped forward with graceful, dance-like movements toward the three of them, letting out a long, weary breath.

“How utterly boring.”

The false Moon Princess looked profoundly bored.

“I will die here? You traveled all this way just to prove such a false proposition and interrupt my challenge for the Sixth Magic… futile! Utterly futile! My challenge for the Sixth Magic is urgent, and now I must waste my time on trivial matters!”

“Completely pointless! Time is far too precious!”

After an ear-splitting roar, Tatari suddenly raised his hand toward the sky. The vast dome instantly shattered from the outside. Blood-red light gushed from the cracks and fissures!

“You shall pay for wasting my time with this false moon.”

As if venting his rage, Tatari fiercely swung his arm downward. The false Red Moon immediately plummeted from the sky!

Seeing the moon rapidly descending, Naoki tightened his grip on the Holy Sword. Then, he quietly exhaled: “I’m truly amazed at you. Where did you get the audacity to transform into Arcueid before us—and even use this technique?”

“Do you think our Princess has such a gentle temperament?”

*BZZZZZ!*

The moment Naoki finished speaking, an oppressive pressure suddenly descended within the Millennium Castle!

This was pressure formed from mana of extreme density, originating from behind Naoki.

*DUNG!*

With a single step, Arcueid crushed deep into the floor of the Millennium Castle. She stepped forward, one pace at a time, until she stood in front of Naoki. Her cold, golden eyes locked onto her counterpart before her, then she tilted her head up to gaze at the falling moon.

“Disgusting.”

Arcueid judged it with utter contempt. Her pale arm swiftly swept toward the falling moon—

As if erased from existence, the falling moon vanished into thin air, as though it had never been there!

“What…?”

Tatari’s expression instantly froze.

The moon disappeared?

Why?

Arcueid’s cold voice rang out again, arms crossed over her chest: “When there exists a superior Imaginary Manifestation, an inferior one can only remain a mere illusion.”

“Your moon is too crude, too rough—utterly lacking in beauty. I will not allow such a filthy, ugly moon to appear before Naoki’s and my eyes.”

“Look well, my pitiful kin from another world, no better than livestock! Witness what a true Moon Fall should look like! Carve it deep into your soul before you die!”

*BZZZZZ!*

The pressure descended once more!

Unlike the previous pressure—an accidental release of extremely dense mana from Arcueid—this time, the pressure was pure physical phenomenon. Just as an object above exerts pressure on what lies beneath, Naoki and Ciel below now bore the crushing weight from above.

And the source of this pressure—

“This is the true Moon Fall.”

Looking up at the Red Moon reappearing in the sky, Naoki—who shielded Ciel from being crushed—wore an expression of slight awe.

Beautiful, breathtaking, dazzling.

The Red Moon reflected in his eyes was an existence of such magnificence. This was the second time he had witnessed Arcueid’s Moon Fall. The first was in Fuyuki City two years ago, but at that time his mind had been elsewhere, so he hadn’t been able to fully appreciate its splendor.

Now was different.

This was the genuine Moon Fall, wielded by Arcueid herself! Not Zepia’s crude imitation, nor Naoki’s incomplete replica. The entity in the sky was undeniably the most perfect Red Moon!

“Fall, and be destroyed!”

With Arcueid’s final declaration, the flawless Red Moon descended with a thunderous roar!